JohnHowardReid Copyright 20 April 1945 by 20th Century-Fox Film Corp. New York opening at the Rialto: 11 May 1945. U.S. release: 18 May 1945. U.K. release: November 1945. Australian release: 30 August 1945. 5,613 feet. 62 minutes. NOTES: Laurel & Hardy's final American film. It may not be one of their best, but at least it fades out on the right note with Ollie exclaiming as their skeletone bodies walk towards the camera, "Well, here's another nice mess you've got me into!" COMMENT: The trouble with The Bullfighters is the story situation itself. No longer are Laurel Hardy just the amiable knuckleheads of yore, injuring no-one but themselves (and those who deserved it-the pompous, the self-opinionated, the greedy) but here they are a positive menace to society at large, directly involved in the more than slightly unpleasant situation of sending an innocent man to prison for five years. Laurel protested bitterly against this utter negation of the familiar Laurel and Hardy characterizations, and you can positively sense his disillusionment at trying to buck the system in what was to be their last American film. Stan has a dual role and Oliver has amassed a delightful rotundity of girth, but one often has the feeling that the boys are just going through the motions. Nor does the support cast come up to the standard of their other Fox features. The girls are most certainly attractive, but they have a relatively minor role, the proceedings being dominated by Ralph Sanford and Richard Lane, capable enough actors within the limits of their usual type-casting, but not the sort of personalities we are likely to enjoy throughout an entire film. Production values also rate somewhat less than in the other Fox pictures. Norbert Brodine's photography is flat and the climactic bull-fight has been stitched together with generous clips from Blood and Sand. Still, for all the film's shortcomings, Laurel and Hardy are still a delight and their routines are fairly amusing.

Lee Eisenberg By 1945, it was clear that the film careers of Laurel and Hardy were winding down. Their second to last feature was "The Bullfighters", wherein they play detectives who go to Mexico to arrest a larcenist. As it happens, not only is Stan a dead ringer for a noted bullfighter, but a man whom the guys helped imprison is seeking revenge.There are some funny scenes, but the movie isn't quite like their 1930s movies. On top of that, the casting of white people as Mexicans is politically incorrect. And of course, it's hard to enjoy the bullfighting scenes, knowing what a cruel sport it is. I always root for the bull. If the bullfighter gets injured...well, he knew the risks.Anyway, it's OK, not great.

Petri Pelkonen It's time for another Laurel and Hardy adventure.This time Stan and Ollie find themselves in New Mexico, where the boys from Peoria, Illinois go as private detectives.Their job is to find Larceny Nell.There is also a certain Richard K. Muldoon, who the boys sent in prison a few years back.He was later found not guilty, but he seeks for revenge on those two saps.He wants to skin them alive, first the little one, then the big one.There's another fine mess Stan's gotten Ollie into.There also happens to be a huge resemblance between Stan and a famous matador from Barcelona.He doesn't get there on time because of some passport problems, so Stanley has to pretend to be him.And the poor little guy is allergic to bulls.The Bullfighters (1945) is directed by Malcolm St. Clair, but also Stan Laurel wrote and directed portions of this feature.This is Laurel's and Hardy's last movie to be made in America for 20th Century Fox and their second last movie in general.Stan Laurel (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957) show us that they are the greatest comedy team ever lived.It's their childlikeness that makes them so likable.A good comedian never lets his inner child die, and they knew that.There's also a great supporting cast in this movie.Margo Woode portrays Senorita Tangerine.Richard Lane is 'Hot Shot' Coleman, the man who makes Stan a bullfighter.Diosa Costello (b.1917) plays Conchita, who sings Bim Bam Bum and shows her fantastic dance moves in the film.Carol Andrews plays Hattie Blake, also known as Larceny Nell.Ralph Sanford is Richard K. Muldoon.Hank Worden plays the part of Mr. McCoy.This movie contains many funny gags that will make the L&H fans laugh.When Stanley is kissed by a beautiful woman, and he faints, is one of those moments that I loved.And I liked the water fight at the fountain.The egg gag is pretty hilarious, where Larceny Nell and the boys start messing each other with eggs.Or Oliver disguising him with a mask when Muldoon comes in, and when he's in the telephone booth and falls on the poor guy.And when Stanley pretends to be Don Sebastian and he takes a big bow and hits his head on the table.You can't help but laugh at the little man's mishaps.And when the boys find themselves in a sticky situation hanging over the hay bales after the bull gets wild.In the end we see the boys with their bones rattling all over the place, after Muldoon has skinned them alive.To me this is a better movie than what has been said of it.I and my family really enjoyed this comedy by Laurel and Hardy.L&H have never left me with a disappointment.These boys brought us their comedy, which we still find amusing.There's a little less laughter and a little less joy when Stan and Ollie aren't there with their new movies.

maxcellus46 I say "watchable" as if telling someone that when the dentist pulls their tooth, it'll only hurt a little while. Not a great recommendation for a film. This was it for the boys. Hollywood had essentially "forgotten" them and didn't appreciate their type of humor any more. This film is merely a stitched together series of some of the old gags used in their earlier shorts and features but without any direction or cause and effect. W. Scott Darling certainly was not a good choice at all for doing the writing considering his background in writing for the Sherlock Holmes series or the screenplay of "Ghost of Frankenstein". How did they figure that he would be adept at writing comedy for such a great team? It would be like John Huston writing something for Abbott & Costello immediately after he finished "The Maltese Falcon" or "Casablanca". NON SEQUITOR. Stan & Ollie really should have realized how much things had changed in Hollywood by the early forties and just quit while they were ahead with their "Saps At Sea" or "A Chump At Oxford", both from 1940. This film is only interesting from the viewpoint of watching what the "big studios" could do to a person's career. Sort of a "post mortem" effect.